good morning. ripped apart. rare and powerful tornadoes tear through southeastern michigan damaging more than 100 homes and sending people racing for cover. we're live in the hardest hit town. what triggered it? the attorney representing the u.s. soldier accused in that deadly shooting spree in afghanistan speaks out for the first time, and offers a possible motive. should the suspect have been deployed in the first place? this morning that attorney speaks to us in an exclusive interview. images of an icon. stunning never before seen images of marilyn monroe as a young actress in hollywood. they could be yours today, young actress in hollywood. they could be yours today, friday, march 16, 2012.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. welcowelcome tp welcome to morning. i'm matt lauer >> good morning. i'm savannah guthrie in for ann. tornadoes haven't hit this part of southeastern michigan this early in the year in more than 60 years. >> it's a busy morning for emergency crews. they are spending the morning searching through debris. so far luckily no deaths or injuries have been reported. we'll get the latest ahead. >> and there is a verdict in the trial we have been watching closely here. a man was found guilty of murder but mentally ill in the shooting death of his co-worker's husband in a day care center by atlanta. he was sentenced to life without parole. during the trial a lot of attention was focused on the relationship between the shooter and the wife of the man who was

killed. was she somehow involved? did she lie on the stand and could she face charges as well? we'll talk to the victim's family. >> here's a statistic that's probably going to sound alarming. on average each passenger jet in operation is hit by lightning once a year coming up, inside a place where they create their own lightning to make sure our planes are safer. >> all right. then how kate middleton is getting into the olympic spirit with just 133 days to go until london's opening ceremony. >> we begin on a friday morning with powerful storms and tornadoes in michigan. mike seidel is in the village of dexter. mike, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, matt. two subdivisions hit hard here an hour west of downtown detroit. at least a hundred homes damaged. this is one of a dozen that are a total loss. up stairs in the closet, clothes still on the hanger. down here we noticed the tie that's wrapped around the aluminum siding.

if this is confirmed as a tornado, and we think it will be, it will be the earliest occurrence of a tornado in this county on record. as the emergency records were sounding. >> i'm in the city limits of dexter and i have a large tornado on the ground. >> reporter: cameras captured a large funnel cloud that touched down. >> through the trees! >> reporter: a s the twister approached people took cover. >> we took the customer and crew into the cooler. >> reporter: from above video captured the destruction in the small village of 4,000 people. homes ripped to shreds. some barely standing. >> our roof is gone, our bedroom. the house is leaking everywhere. >> reporter: the storm system brought pelting hail and after the storms roared through, the reality of the situation sunk in. >> oh, my gosh. >> reporter: people here already hard at work with the cleanup. the local laundromat wiped out,

the owner trying to salvage what's left. >> trying to get it before the villains do. >> reporter: with the reminders of the storm around them. >> we live near the tracks but there was no train coming. when they say it sounds like a train they are not kidding. >> reporter: there were no reported injuries. >> need a house? >> reporter: with some already looking on the brighter side. >> yeah. i have extra room now. my bike is in the neighbor's bush. i still have my lawnmower. i should be fine. >> reporter: here's another house that was a total loss. notice the debris over the car. an elderly man and two kids ran down to the basement at the last minute. that saved them from injuries and saved their lives. you will also notice the fog. that's one of the reason we have early season twisters. you don't typically see fog or temperatures around 80 degrees in march. in detroit that's 30 degrees above average. that was one of the ingredients yesterday for severe wet.

and for a lot of people east of the rockies it is an uneasable early spring. >> thank you very much, mike. we'll get al's forecast in a little while. it's four minutes after the hour. here's savannah. >> new details emerging about the u.s. soldier accused of killing 16 civilians during a shooting spree in afghanistan. we'll talk to the defense attorney from seattle who is representing the soldier. first, nbc's chief foreign correspondent richard engel is in kabul with the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. while no name has been released, new details are starting to emerge about the american soldier accused of war crimes here in afghanistan and possible motivations. for the first time, the lawyer of the accused american staff sergeant is speaking out. >> in general, very mild-mannered. >> reporter: he said his client is a highly decorated veteran, injured twice, and that after

three tours in iraq. >> he and the family were told his tours in the middle east were over and then literally overnight that changed. >> reporter: he denies reports the 38-year-old staff sergeant, a married father of two, had been drinking or had marital problems. >> i don't know where that rumor came from. we find it very offensive. there are problems like there are with all of us as far as finances and things like that, but nothing serious. there is certainly no marital dischord. >> reporter: the impact of the crimes he's accused of committing is still being felt. they trigrd angry protests in afghan cities, an attack on hamid karzai's family, an apology from president obama. >> the killing of innocent civilians is outrageous and unacceptable. >> reporter: and overshadowed a critical trip by defense secretary leon panetta who came to plan an exit from america's longest war. instead, he, too, was apologizing for a war crime.

>> the united states is, indeed, going to not only prosecute this individual but ensure that he's held accountable. >> reporter: the killings led president karzai to call for u.s. troops here to be confined to their major bases. although the u.s. military hasn't agreed to that radical change in the way it operates. soldiers snap in war. they always have. in iraq in 2005 there was haditha. when a group of marines was accused of going into a blind rage during a firefight making no distinction between enemy and civilian, killing both. this time there was no battle, just victims. nine children. 11 of the dead from one family. when the accused attacker moved from house to house shooting and stabbing and burning them in their sleep. the american suspect was transferred from here in

afghanistan to a base in kuwait. now we are being told kuwaiti officials are angry he's in the country. he's waiting to be transferred to the united states where he'll likely face a court martial. >> richard, thank you very much. john henry brown who represented ted bundy and the is so-called bear foot bandit will help defend the alleged gunman. nice to see you. >> thank you. >> the accused heard of your work in seattle and asked for you to represent him. up to this point he has not been identified. there are reports that could come today. are you willing to identify him this morning? >> no. i'm not. i have been told by the government, and i believe them, that there is a great deal of security concern. i'm going to go along with that until the government reveals his identity. not only concern for him, but for his family. >> it's my understanding you did get a chance to speak to the accused in a brief telephone

conversation. how would you describe his state of mind? >> in shock. somewhat of a dull affect, i would say. i did tell him not to speak about the details of anything. i believe they will be monitored and i said we would be coming to see him or he would be coming to see us soon. >> does he sound like someone -- just to ask a blunt question -- who is mentally competent. does he understand the reality of what's happened and what he faces? >> well, that's a good question. my take on it was he wasn't sure of all the facts which raises some questions in my mind about his state of mind. that's the best answer i can give you on that. >> has he confessed? there are reports he confessed to the crime. can you confirm that? >> i have spoken with his judge advocate attorney and he told me that's not the case. there's been a lot of things floating out there that are simply not true.

the most offensive to me is the one that there was marital dischord in his family. that's not true. he has a very strong, loving relationship with his wife. there is a lot out there that i think is suspicious to me. >> you may be referring to a new york times report that quoted a senior american official who said, quote, when it all comes out it will be a combination of stress, domestic and alcohol issues. he just snapped. let me ask you about reports that he was drinking prior to the attack which would be a violation of military rules in a combat area. can you confirm he was, in fact, drinking? >> no. that report makes me suspicious. it talks about the marital dischord, too, which is not true. maybe there was alcohol. it's absurd to suggest that somebody is under stress in afghanistan. who wouldn't be? there is information coming out that i'm not trusting at this

point, that's for sure. >> this is his fourth deployment. he was deployed three times in iraq. this is the first time in afghanistan. there are reports he was injured twice in iraq, once in a roll-over of a vehicle after a roadside bomb exploded. in another incident he lost part of his foot. based on his stress and physical record do you think he shouldn't have been deployed in afghanistan to begin with? >> that's a real question. he was told he would not be deployed again and then he was training to be a recruiter for the military and then overnight he was told he was going back. i think that's going to be certainly a central question in this case. >> i know you have spoken to his family at greater length than you have spoken to the suspect himself. do you know if this soldier was tested or screened for post traumatic stress disorder? >> i know there was screening because of a concussive head injury which can be very

serious. i think your network is reported on that many times. but of course the tests aren't very specific. it doesn't show on mri or anything like that. so there was min taimal screeni but nothing very sophisticated. >> i'm not asking you to show your hand here, but do you think it's possible you might be using a ptsd defense in this case? >> i think that there is a likelihood that would be the case, yes. >> this incident has placed an enormous amount of pressure on the u.s. military and the u.s. government. it severely damaged our efforts in afghanistan. even if it's shown he has some form of ptsd, do you feel the american government will go all out and be extremely tough on this guy, even tougher than normal, in an effort to appease the afghan government? >> i think this case is more political than legal. i'm used to legal things, not

political things. so i think there will be an effort to try to paint him as a rogue soldier rather than focus on how we are treating our g.i.s in general and whether we should be over there to begin with. >> you say more political than legal. it will boil down to a case of 16 counts of murder. >> that's correct. >> john henry brown, thank you for your time this morning. >> nice to see you again. >> you, too. by the way, sunday on "meet the press," david gregory will have an exclusive interview with john mccain including a special discussion on after standard of practice -- afghanistan and the toll the war has taken on our servicemen and women. >> tamron hall is at the news desk while natalie is on assignment. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. the democrats are ramping up their re-election campaign with president obama traveling to chicago and atlanta today for fund-raisers. in ohio thursday, vice president joe biden attacked the

republican candidates by name saying they would bankrupt the middle class. meantime rick santorum who is trying to win sunday's puerto rico primary said he was misquoted when a local newspaper reported him saying if puerto rico wants to become a state, everyone should speak english. mitt romney is scheduled to campaign today. mitt reports campaign money troubles and newt gingrich focusing on tuesday's illinois prima primary. women in arizona may have to prove they are using birth control for medical reasons and not for contraception in order to receive reimbursements from their work place health insurance. this according to a bill nearing passage in the state's legislature. the bill allows all employers are not just religious institutions to opt out of providing coverage for birth control. the american civil liberties union is battling the bill saying it would make it easier for women to be fired for using birth control for con

contraception and would force women to reveal sensitive medical information to employers. a small plane crash in western north carolina has killed all five people on board the private plane with attempting to land at an airport there when the plane's wing tip struck the ground, causing it to flip and burst into flames. comedian gallagher is in stable condition after collapsing at a comedy club in texas suffering a heart attack. he's best known for smashing water melons with a sledge hammer. his manager said he's slowly recovering. apple's newest ipad hits stores today and fans are lining up at stores in nine countries worldwide. the third generation of the ipad boasts a faster processor, sharper screen. analysts say more than 1 million could be sold today alone. now to wall street. cnbc's mandy drurry is at the new york stock exchange. good morning. >> good morning. we saw the s&p 500 stocks

crossing 14 for the first time in four years after better than expected numbers on manufacturing and jobless claims. there is a lot of data today to chew on. if you own shares in ibm that's at a record high now. yesterday i was telling you about apple being the one to watch, it crossed 600 dollars a share yesterday for the first time before falling back slightly. it has gained about 10% in the last month alone. in the lead-up to the sale of the new ipad today. you can bet your bottom dollar that new ipad will have to live up to expectations to keep the share gains going. back to you. >> thank you. and if regular sky diving doesn't get your blood pumping anymore, try jumping from the edge of space. fearless felix baumgarten successfully completed a jump from 13 miles up. he's training to jump 23 miles up, a height that would send his

body hurtling through the sound barrier. just for comparison, most planes hit cruising altitude around five and a half miles up. nasa is particularly interested in felix's jumps as finding alternate emergency escapes for astronauts is a priority for years for the space program. it's 7:17. i love his name fearless felix. mine would be terrified tamron. >> do you think he eats lunch first? >> the jump happened on tuesday. he just landed yesterday. tamron, thank you very much. >> super dave osborn did that years ago. >> nothing on fearless felix. >> right. >> what's going on? you're here with the ipad. that's so yesterday. >> i'm so behind the times. in the pacific northwest, getting hammered again. another storm coming on shore. that's going to be bringing rain and mountain snows from the pacific northwest into central california. rainfall from north of los

angeles up into the pacific northwest. we are talking one to four inches of rain. one to two feet of snow. we are expecting record highs in the mid plains. a risk of strong storms northern texas into oklahoma. the wet weather continues in the northeast. light scattered showers and plenty of sunshine and warmth through the gulf coast into >> good morning.. we have a chance for a shower or thunderstorm today. it will not be a washout. it will be a little cooler than the last couple of days. that's your latest weather. savannah snm in london, kate middleton is doing her part to

promote the summer olympics showing off field hockey skills during a visit to olympic park. good morning to you, keir. >> reporter: good morning, savannah. it was kate middleton dressing down in tangerine jeans that has fashion enthusiasts buzzing. kate middleton says she doesn't get to play sports so much anymore. but it didn't take her long to change into something comfortable, to put a bit of royal sparkle into a hockey game at an olympic venue. >> she was good. she seems natural. >> reporter: the smile said sporty kate is looking forward to the olympics as much as her new brother-in-law. >> yeah, the three of us -- my brother and my sister -- will be as involved as we can be. london's hosting and we'll help as much as we can. >> reporter: kate's fashion sense is likely to get as much attention as her sporting

skills. the focus was on her bright jeans, the latest fashion trend. where she goes, young women follow. >> she's a princess. she's handled it so well. >> reporter: then from sneakers to high heels and a sophisticated dress by a young designer for an outing with the in-laws. >> reporter: what she's wearing sells out in seconds. amazing. she's said to be giving camilla fashion advice and with prince william away, his wife is growing closer to her new family. visiting one of charles's aunt's charities, kate listening attentively. he turning to her for help. >> i have no idea what i'm doing. >> reporter: the two giggling together. there was the same warmth with the queen at a fashion show last week. then the duchess of cambridge wore a dress from l.k. bennett. it's not just her royal family she's winning over. >> very pretty. nice dress. >> she's got the right sort of manner from what i saw. >> reporter: in your opinion? >> yes, in my opinion.

>> reporter: with so many changes of clothes, a quick spot of ironing is often needed. not something prince charles has mastered, but people aren't looking so closely at what he's wearing. william is expected back from military duty sometime next week. kate is reportedly having her portrait painted for his 30th birthday. what to wear for that? that's a fashion question, savannah. >> we're all packing our tangerine jeans. thank you so much. coming up, a georgia man sentenced to life without parole in the murder of his co-worker's husband. we'll find out why they suspect the murdered man's own wife had involvement in the case. but first, this is "today" on nbc.

just ahead, a new line for gap kids and why movie fans are craving "the hunger games" after your local news.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am stan stovall. changes are on the way to the baltimore city police department in light of an independent review surrounding the officer- involved shooting at the lounge. officer william torbit, who was in plain clothing, was shot and killed along with the civilian sean gamble. the department says that

officers must wear a clearly marked and identifiable police and fire. -- police at higher. >> this friday is a lot lighter than normal. speeds of around 32 on the west side, but those delays are falling into place on liberty down to edmondson. but the faceless body or ford towards providence -- but a basler spot on harford boards province, but other than that, nothing major. baltimore national pike, you can see it there are delays in there. live view of traffic on 95 south up the beltway northeast. we will keep you posted. >> good morning, everyone. we are starting out with a little cloud cover. winds our out of the east and

northeast. the best chance for rain will hold off until later this morning and afternoon. 48 in parkton, 52 in annapolis. variable clouds, chance for a shower or thunderstorm in the forecast later this morning. into the afternoon, high temperatures between 67 and 72 degrees. degrees. dry,dril, any luck finding a ca?

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how'd you like to be on a plane when that happens? it's a lightning strike and there is a good chance you already have been. coming up, we'll take you to a lab where they are creating lightning in a bottle to make sure planes stay safe in the sky. that's a dramatic image. inside studio 1a at 7:30 on a friday morning, march 16th, i'm matt lauer along savannah guthrie who's filling in for ann. also ahead, a movie that's taking the box office by storm racking in huge advanced ticket sales though the release of the film is still about a week away. >> a lot of people are excited. "the hunger games" based on the best-selling novels said to have one of the biggest openings of all time. fans are lining up already.

what's the buzz all about? we'll get into that. >> and marilyn monroe is one of hollywood's biggest icons. coming up, we'll show you never before seen images of the star taken by a man who had remarkable access during some of her most famous movies. they're cool pictures. >> we begin with a guilty verdict for the man accused of shooting his co-worker's husband outside a day care center in georgia. in a moment the victim's family will speak out in an exclusive live interview. first, nbc's dennis murphy has the latest. good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, savann savannah. the defense was not guilty by reason of i san is insanity. the jury didn't buy it. they found he wasn't taking instructions from a jury. >> we the jury find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but mentally ill. >> reporter: after a day and a half of deliberations, jurors found newman guilty but ent

mentally ill of murder in 2010. snyderman, a married father of two had just dropped off his son when newman shot him at least four times at close range. newman admitted to the killing but defense attorneys argued the 48-year-old engineer was insane, driven to murder by images of angels and demons resembling olivia newton-john and barry white. prosecutors dismissed the argument. >> that, ladies and gentlemen, is not insanity. we call that good old-fashioned cold blooded malice murder. >> reporter: a murder prosecutors argued was triggered by an affair they say newmap was having with rusty snyderman's wife andrea. in court it was as though she was on trial, too. >> did you wake up together in denver in tahoe? >> no.

>> reporter: andy i canshe deni affair and said newman became obsessed with her, stalked her and her family and finally gunned down her husband. >> what boss kills someone else's husband? i don't care. affair or no affair. there was no affair. >> reporter: she was barred from the courtroom for being disruptive and hging a witness who testified about the alleged affair. andrea would not be there to hear newman speak about rusty during the hearing. >> he was a good man with so much ahead of him. i'm so, so, so sorry for their loss. >> reporter: he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. but after the trial his defense team blamed andrea in the court of public opinion. >> i believe the evidence in this case indicates quite clearly that she knew how she wanted her husband murdered and that she manipulated him to have

that done. >> reporter: rusty's brother steven echoed the defense attorneys. >> it's clear to me that andrea is covered in rusty's blood. there are not enough rabbis in the world to wash away those stains. >> reporter: andrea has never been charged and denies wrongdoing. her attorney issued a statement. andrea is grateful for and e relieved by the jury's guilty verdict and sentence. nothing can bring back her husband. it is reassuring to her that after all the noise and distractions surrounding this case, some measure of justice has been done for rusty. but in an interview thursday night, prosecutors told nbc news stay tuned. are you going to seek an arrest warrant for andrea snyderman? >> i can't answer that now. we'll look at the facts and evidence and look at what justice requires and the evidence requires. >> reporter: though the jury didn't find newman insane in the legal sense he will be evaluated

for mental illness inside the prison system. savannah? >> thank you so much. rusty's family is with us. his brother steve, sister-in-law lisa and his parents don and marilyn. good morning. >> good morning. >> first, let us offer our condolences. i know you have strong feelings about rusty's wife andrea. let me get your reaction to the verdict. after everything you have been through, what was it like to hear that guilty verdict in the courtroom. did it provide a measure of comfort? >> no. it won't bring rusty back. nothing will do that. that's all we care about is trying somehow to keep him alive in our hearts. >> i know the defendant apologized in court, that he was sorry for what happened to rusty. do you buy it? >> no, not really. i have heard that line. i'm so, so sorry from many, many

people in this case. it just bothers the heck out of me. >> marilyn, the jurors rejected the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity but they found he is mentally ill. do you think he's suffering from some kind of mental problem? >> no. >> so you think it's just an excuse? >> i think it's an excuse and nothing will bring rusty back. that's what we wanted most. >> steve, let's talk about rusty's wife andrea. we heard you have harsh ward words saying she has blood on her hands. she's denied wrongdoing, denied having an affair with newman. what do you suspect about her involvement? >> well, we just -- we know she's lied. we watched her lie on the stand. she lied about the nature of her

relationship with the killer. she clearly had an inappropriate relationship with him. we know she lied about critical information that could have led law enforcement to arrest him much faster than they did. we know she lied about when she knew rusty had been shot. those raise giant red flags and raise a lot of questions for all of us as to what needs to be -- you know, what happens here. it doesn't make a lot of sense. her story doesn't fit together. so we are grateful that the district attorney's office is hearing the same things we are hearing in this testimony and that the investigations are going to continue. and that it answers these questions. >> they said stay tuned, hinting that charges may be brought against her. have they said anything to you privately in that regard? >> we trust robert james and don

gary to follow the evidence where it leads. we are behind them 110% in whatever they do. >> lisa, you told the local newspaper that you had a conversation with andrea in which she mentioned suicide. what did she say? >> the last time i spoke with her, we were speaking right after newman was arrested. she indicated to me that she felt that she was suicidal when she thought of how much worse this could get for her. i immediately was alarmed. i said, what do you mean by that? she said, what do you think i mean by that? and i knew immediately that she was in trouble. >> at the heart of this is the loss of a person everyone described as a good man, your son. what would you want people to know about rusty? >> that he was the light of our

life. he was loved by everyone with his big smile and he was interested in helping everybody. he was too good a man to die like that. >> final question in your mind, has justice been done here? >> well, i think that justice was done yesterday in the fact that, you know, the killer will never walk free again. that was our number one objective when we came to atlanta for this trial was to make sure he could never walk amongst us again. so we do feel there was small sense of justice, some small sense of comfort that he was given life without the possibility of parole so we'll never have to deal with him again. as for the rest of this, we'll just press forward. >> steve, lisa, don and marilyn snyderman, good to have you with us this morning. thank you. >> thank you. >> you can see more about the case tonight on "dateline" at

10:00/9:00 central on nbc. now a check of the weather from al. >> announcer: today's weather is brought to you by jc penney. march is madness without penney. >> we have a big pre-st. patrick's day crowd out here. what's your name? >> victoria. >> sweet 16? >> close. >> happy birthday. let's check it out for you. we're looking at temperatures way above normal. look at this. 38 above in bismark. green bay, 29. amarillo, 81 degrees. 77 in denver. as you look, we have more heavy rain and mountain snow northern california into the pacific northwest. showers in the southeast. strong storms texas to oklahoma.

sunshine along the southeastern atlantic coast. record highs from the plains to the mississippi river valley. >> good morning. the temperatures will be above average said. a little cooler the the last couple of days. a chance for it thunderstorm into the afternoon. want to check your weather for st. patrick's day? go to the weather channel on cable or weather.com online. savannah? >> still ahead, millions went wide for mossoni at target. now diane von furstenberg is creating a new line for gap kids and she will be here to show it off. up next, a striking experiment. what's being done to keep your

next flight safe from lightning coming up right after this. just, uh, checking out my ad. nice. but, you know, with every door direct mail from the postal service, you'll find the customers that matter most: the ones in your neighborhood. print it yourself, or we'll help you find a local partner. and postage is under 15 cents. i wish i would have known that cause i really don't think i chose the best location. it's not so bad. i mean you got a deal... right? [ bird cries ] go online to reach every home, every address, every time with every door direct mail.

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lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight, including blurry vision or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain, and swelling of hands, legs and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i've found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain. we are back at 7:44. you may not like to think about it but every time you fly there is a chance the plane you're in

could be struck by lightning. it happened four times in houston just last week. there is a place in the uk that creates lightning to help keep you safe in the sky. nbc's michelle kosinski is at london's heathrow airport and has details on this. good morning. >> reporter: hey, matt. lightning strikes are happening every day and planes are at risk. every commercial airline is struck on average once a year but generally there is no damage thanks in part to scientists here. lightning. fuel of mythology and magic. beautiful. but not like this. airplanes grasped by those violent armed.

but at an unusual lab tucked away in wales, full of dire warnings and giant capacitors, they make their own lightning. yes, take something that doesn't conduct like ceramic big ben and -- >> fire in the hole. [ explosion ] >> reporter: wow. there must be a million pieces. the job isn't to have fun blowing things up. >> oh! >> reporter: the point is that the aircraft skins he tests here don't. just basically scorches the surface a tiny bit? >> yeah. look at the other side. it's not even a dent. >> reporter: he tortures airplane skins. and the best news we have heard all day, nothing bad happened. the electricity is diffused and

doesn't get in. same concept when you zap a round metal clock. some sparks, but -- >> i'm afraid to touch anything in here. >> reporter: just like your airplane lightning is dispersed around the skin with the inside untouched. it happened on this man's flight. >> there was a quick, instant drop. the plane nose-dived for six or seven seconds. >> reporter: but everything was fine which is why phil is so passionate -- do they ever call you zeus? [ thunder ] >> reporter: if you were in 4th grade and one day somebody told you that you would be making the lightning -- >> i would have been blown away. >> reporter: seeing the results of the tests was extremely comforting. the lightning they make is ten times more powerful than the real thing. lightning does occasionally

bring down a smaller aircraft. last time it happened to a big commercial jet was in the 1960s. >> that's wild stuff. michelle kosinski at heathrow this morning. coming up, the fan frenzy over "the hunger games." we'll tell you what all the excitement seems to be about after these messages. s gurus. doers. here's to more saturdays in the sun. and budgets better spent. here's to turning rookies - into experts, and shoppers into savers. here's to picking up. trading up. mixing it up. to well-earned muddy boots. and a lot more - spring per dollar. more saving. more doing. that's the power of the home depot. lay down a new look - with earthgro mulch, now 3 bags for just 10 bucks. made with only milk... cream... a touch of sugar... and pure natural flavors. coffee-mate natural bliss. from nestle.

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is clinically proven to relieve dry, itchy skin, with 92% of people reporting improved overall skin condition over time. eucerin calming creme. and the gentle cleansing formula of calming body wash. calm, healthy skin starts with eucerin. move over harry potter, bella and edward, watch out. "the hunger games" is set to be one of the biggest box office hits of t year. stephanie gosk has details. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. if you haven't read the book imagine roman colosseum meets george orwell, or even better "survivor" but played as a fight to the death. the books are big, the movie is set to be bigger. the feverishly anticipated release is a week from today. this theater in downtown l.a. has 14 screens showing every

single one of them, this movie, at once. even by this city's standards, the premiere of "the hunger games" at l.a.'s nokia theater was a big deal. >> one of the biggest movies of the year, maybe the decade. >> i love "the hunger games"! >> reporter: crowds camped out for days. some fans traveled hundreds of miles. >> i might cry. i really might cry. i'm really excited. >> traveling out here from wisconsin was the best decision i ever made. >> reporter: teenagers and more than a fair share of adults are crazy about these books. [ screaming ] >> reporter: the trilogy written by author suzanne collins. the first novel spent more than # 100 consecutive weeks on the new york times best seller list. >> the fact that the books were so popular. that now shifts to the movies. and the thing is it's a really good movie. >> reporter: fandango said it's already broken advanced ticket

sales records set by the twilight saga "eclipse." no blood thirsty vampires in this one. just murderous humans. it's a futuristic dystopia. >> i volunteer! i volunteer as tribute. >> reporter: and a strong, smart 16-year-old girl named katniss everdeen who must fight for her life in a sadistic version of reality tv. >> welcome. happy hunger games. >> reporter: there are well known actors like donald sutherland and stanley tucci, but the young cast has fans really excited. including the star herself, jennifer lawrence. >> she's a futuristic joan of arc. it's amazing. >> reporter: she and her costars toured malls around the country, stirring up the crowd. >> amazing!

i can't believe it's here. >> reporter: although it really didn't seem necessary. keep in mind this is just the first of three movies. they are already screaming. another mega million movie franchise is born. it's projected to gross as much as $150 million in its first weekend. because it's march there won't be much competition out there. savannah? >> stephanie, thanks. just ahead, never before seen images of marilyn monroe. >> after your local news. can orencia help? [ woman ] i wanted to get up when i was ready, not my joints. [ female announcer ] could your "i want" become "i can"? talk to your doctor. orencia reduces many ra symptoms like pain, morning stiffness and progression of joint damage. it's helped new ra patients and those not helped enough by other treatments. do not take orencia with another biologic medicine for ra due to an increased risk of serious infection. serious side effects can occur including fatal infections.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. here is sarah caldwell and traffic pulse 11. >> most of the ride was ok add to the past few minutes. accident on the outer loop of baltimore national pike. nine miles per hour, really impacting traffic. looking at inner loop delays just opposite of that. if you want to head out on 795, that is looking pretty good, but we will see delays shortly down towards the west side. 29 on southbound 95 out of the north east. normal volume-related delays

falling into place. we have some additional delays. two lanes getting by. left and center lane, you will go a little better through that area. 95 south of the beltway northeast. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> so far, not a whole lot happening, with a bang-wise. we have at least when it right now. that is lacking in the cloud cover. -- locking in the cloud cover. if those winds stay out of the east, we will be locked in the 50's. better chance for rain will come later this morning and afternoon. it we will jump up to 40%. take an umbrella with you. should be a decent weekend. of patrick's day, a couple

clouds hanging around. we will jump right back into the

we're back now. 8:00 on a friday morning. the 16th day of march, 2012. you know what? we've got some nasty weather in the northeast. like we also have a massive friday rolling spring break crowd on our plaza. this is one of the biggest crowds we have had in months. >> yeah. >> we thank these people for coming out. i'm matt lauer here with savannah guthrie, here while ann takes some time off. and mr. roker as well. coming up, a new trend in fashion. >> we have heard of designers making affordable lines.

now diane von furstenberg has come up with a design for kids. look at them. the cuteness factor is on overload. that's up mention. >> also, marilyn monroe, a hollywood icon. perhaps even hotter than ever. we just had the movie "my week with marilyn," nbc has the tv show "smash." we have never before seen images of marilyn monroe from some of her early movies taken by a guy who had incredible access. we'll tell you how those photos could be yours. >> a little bit later on, no secret. cost of colleges just keep rising like crazy. how do you afford it? we'll show you how to make college more affordable as your kids head off to school. >> a lot to get to. natalie is off. tamron hall is at the news desk with the headlines. good morning. >> good morning, everyone. more than a hundred homes were damaged, many of them severely when at least three suspected tornadoes touched down in

southeast michigan near ann arbor. the storm pelted the area with large hail. however, officials say there does not appear to be any serious injuries to report at this time. is the attorney for an american soldier accused of killing 16 civilians in afghanistan denies reports that his 38-year-old father of two client had marital problems or a drinking problem. earlier today john henry brown said there is a likelihood post traumatic stress will play a role in defending the sergeant. u.s. military officials say a violent incident in afghanistan wednesday just before a visit by defense secretary dei don't know panetta was more serious than disclosed. a top u.s. commander was among the marines an afghan man tried to run down with a stolen suv as they awaited panetta's arrival. democrats are ramping up for a re-election campaign with president obama traveling to chicago and atlanta today. in ohio thursday, vice president

joe biden attacked the republican candidates by name saying they would bankrupt the middle class. rick santorum is trying to win sunday's puerto rican primary said he was misquoted when a newspaper quoting him as saying if puerto rico wants to become a state everyone should speak english. mitt romney is reporting campaign money troubles and newt gingrich is focused on tuesday's illinois primary and promises to define his conservative vision for america. now our quick round-up of what has you talking online. amanda knox's boyfriend's book about the 2007 murder case that made them famous will come out this fall. knox's memoir isn't due until next year. we have a follow up on the trending item about the arrest warrant for russell brand. he surrendered to police thursday in new orleans. he was charged with grabbing a photographer's iphone, hurling

it through a window. he was released after posting $5,000 bail. and an intriguing fruit fly study on twitter. males rejected for mating chose a drink spiked with alcohol more often than their peers who were sexually satisfied. other studies have shown similar drown your sorrows behavior in lonely or frustrated monkeys and mice. it is now 8:04. i hope never to read a story like that again. al? >> that's what you women drive us to. if you're a fruit fly, a man or a mouse. >> oh, goodness. >> wow. your mom turns 80, grandma, grandma, mom. you must be grandma/mom. >> yes.

>> happy birthday, you look terrific. >> thank you. >> where did you find shirts like that? that's amazing. roger, arkansas, knwa. northwest arkansas. showers and thunderstorms. 78 degrees. more rain in the pacific northwest. what a mess. heavy thunderstorms moving through kentucky on into alabama and mississippi and georgia later today. showers in the northeast. we are looking at record highs in the plains into the mississippi river valley. a risk of strong storms from central texas into central oklahoma. >> good morning. we have a chance for a shower or thunderstorm today. it will not be a washout. it will be a little cooler than the last couple of days.

that's your latest weather. savannah? >> thanks, al. we have a 16th birthday today. [ cheers ] >> coming up, how you could own these never before seen immanuaimmanuaages of marilyn monroe. coming up, these messages. i love that my daughter's part fish.

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penguin journey junior mints moviefone evil prince bollywood 3-d shark attack ned the head 5% cashback right now, get 5% cashback on movies. it pays to discover. marilyn monroe is one of hollywood's most iconic sex symbols. there is renewed interest in her life thanks to the film "my week with marilyn" and "smash." we have never before seen pictures of marilyn monroe before they hit the auction block. martin, welcome back. >> great to be here. >> these photos were taken in the 1940s and '50s yet they have not bipartisan seen. how can they be? >> spectacular. they come from whitey snyder, marilyn monroe's makeup artist. they were best friends. >> they worked together on some early movies, some popular movies. give me some examples. >> from her first tryout at 20th

century fox to 1962 when she passed away and all the movies in between. he was involved with her on set and off. he's had amazing privileged access. >> she would ask him to take photos of her to calm her nerves when she got the jitters. >> reporter: the camera loved marilyn monroe, but marlshe lov the camera. when the camera was rolling she became marilyn monroe. she became distracted from her own issues and just played the role. she loved the camera. >> you have been able to look over the photos. what are some of your favorites. >> the beautiful one taken in 1953 on the set of "niagara." she's wearing a red shirt and looks so sigh brant, natural and real. it's a great photograph. another one i really like is one where it's taken on the set of "river of no return," 1953. she's wearing a white sweater.

again, it speaks to a very natural fun-loving, with a beautiful background. she looks amazing. >> one thing i find unusual is we have had auctions with photographs. you are not only selling prints to the highest bidder, you are also in some cases selling the rights to the photograph. why is that so important? >> that's important because the photographs have never been copy righted. they were taken by snyder, never to be published, but the family decided it's 50 years since she passed away. people should have access to these. >> if you buy the print and reproduce the photo you get all proceeds from the reproduction of the photo? >> you have the right to do whatever you want to do with it. you can copy right it, or do whatever. >> at one point in her life marilyn monroe asked snyder to do her a favor. you can do it more justice than i can. go ahead. >> for 16 years they worked together. they were best friends. they had little family, so they

traveled together. marilyn asked if she was to pass away before him if he would do her makeup. >> on the body. >> he said, sure. drop off the body while it's still warm and i will do it. marilyn loved that. soon after she gave him a gift of a beautiful tiffany money clip. this is in the sale as well. it says dear whitey, while i'm still warm, marilyn. >> that's gross, martin. [ laughter ] >> i'm glad you told the story and not me. >> sadly, soon after she did pass away, he did make her up and he was a pal bearer. we have photographs of him at the funeral. >> briefly, in terms of comparing to other hollywood icons, how do objects dealing with marilyn monroe tend to fare value wise? >> they increase year over year. it's unbelievable. with new movies and musicals about marilyn, kids 8 to 10 know

who marilyn monroe is. she's still relevant today. she's a global icon. >> we'll put information on the website. up next, famed designer diane von furstenberg reveals her colorful new line for gap kids. right after this.

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happiness in store.™ back now at 8:18 with the growing trend of high end fashion lines and retail chains teaming up to offer designer looks at reasonable prices. in a moment, diane von furstenberg will give us a peek at her new line for gap kids. but first, how this phenomenon got started. the catwalk used to be the only place to catch a glimpse of designer fashions. but not anymore. >> it's not enough for a designer to just be out there on the red carpet and the runway. yes, it's important to build cache but at the end of the day you can't have a handful of people buying your designs. >> reporter: last year consumers went crazy for the limited edition missoni for target. many stores sold out in minutes. >> it was crazy. women were acting like it was black friday. >> reporter: high demand online

caused target's website to crash. designer jason wu's line was next. we featured the launch of the collection on "today." >> american women are telling us they want beautiful clothes. >> what i love most about the designer collections is the affordability and that they are bringing fashion that wouldn't typically be for the wealthier for the masses. >> reporter: h & m collaborated with marni. >> we have been here since 3:30. >> i came yesterday at 8:00 a.m. >> reporter: h & m has done it before with high end labels like jimmy chu and roberto cavali. >> we have been working since 2004 to offer high fashion at affordable prices. >> reporter: now diane von furstenberg is teaming up with gap, creating her signature wrap dresses and prints for little girls proving you are never too young to wear designer looks for less. diane von furstenberg joins us now.

good morning. >> good morning. >> it's nice to meet you. >> it's lovely to be here with all these wonderful little girls. >> adorable. so many designers are working with retail chains and bringing designs to the masses. what's the appeal? >> well, it's a fun challenge. you know, you want to do something fun and optimistic, something with easy shapes so little girls can move and you want to do something that both mothers and children would love. i think we have done it. i think it's very fun and happy and optimistic and practical. >> we'll have a runway show. we have a d.j. live. this is 8-year-old d.j. >> he's amazing. >> the first look is your iconic wrap dress. girls come on out. how have you translated this? >> this is the little one and that's norma. the green and white one in jersey is actually a wrap

romper. so it's shorts. it looks like a dress, but it's shorts. so the girls have a lot of movement. you can run and do all the things you want to do. so is the orange and blue and white. the white one and the pink and white, that's woven. that's a real wrap dress. >> you have to have different considerations for little ones. they have to be able to move. >> that's my consideration when i design anyway. i always make sure you can move. >> let's bring out our next look which is the jumper dress. thanks, girls. this is great for the great weather we have been having. tell us about this look. >> okay. so this is a beautiful little woven dress with eyelet in the middle. it's fun in cotton. she's wearing little sunglasses. >> the girls are ready to model. >> the middle one is one of my favorites. i love it. it's a combination of knit and woven. then of course the little eyelet

white ones. >> look at the shoes. >> the shoes are adorable. >> close up on the shoes. >> they are so cute. >> thank you, girls. we want to move beyond the dresses. you have a lot of active wear, too. >> we have a little blazer. show the little blazer. look how pretty it is. show your lining. open your jacket. >> oh, very cute. >> give me a close up on your lining. >> it has the cute shoes and the little hat. >> and the little bag. and of course the green jump suit that you could wear without anything or with a t-shirt under. that was inspired very much by something we did for grown-ups. >> you have little grandchildren. did they inspire you? >> yeah. my grandchildren are almost too big at this point. listen, it's all about optimism and practical and pretty.

>> thank you, girls. our last look is graphic tees and patterned leggings. you're known for pattern. >> and i love leggings. children love leggings. there is nothing more comfortable than the legging. everything, all the patterns are color, black and white. so you can really mix and match. you know, take whatever comes out of the washing machine. it will all work together. >> shall we bring back all the girls one last time? we have to take a look. you look so cute. >> okay. >> diane, this is a limited time only collection. >> yes. >> how long can people get it? is. >> i don't know. it's selling out very quickly. if you are interested, you better rush. it's only in selected and it's super popular. >> these girls are super cute. thanks, ladies. >> bye! >> thank you, d.j. good job. we'll head down to florida to say hello to mr. willard scott.

>> we're still at shell point retirement community. that's my room over there in about 22 years. happy birthday from smucker's. take a look at the birthday buddies today. right here from beautiful sunny ft. myers, florida. this is earl hammond from highland park, michigan. he loves his retirement. that's good to hear. a lot of people do. he likes to spend time with his family. i don't know if i'm working or retired. anyway, we have -- because i'm having fun. howard and marie huntley. they say good night. peoria, arizona. 80 years they have been married and they are still very much in love. marie rouillard of sanford, maine. they eat their blueberry muffins and live together.

always in a good mood. your attitude is everything. rose rubin. west palm beach, florida. enjoys following the news and being with her grandchildren. she is 103. how about that? ruth williams, saco, maine. 100 years old today. believes very much in helping those in need. isn't that a great attitude? she loves to play cards. good for the mind. finally, we have ralph shaw, jr., from beautiful downtown juno beach, florida. 100 years old today. the secret to longevity is the love of his family. you can't beat that either. so from beautiful shell point retirement community in ft. myers, florida, we say good-bye. now back to new york. >> willard, thanks. just ahead, wolves invade studio 1a after your local news.

>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. let's get a final check on your friday morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still recovering from the west side accident. through the outer loop, all of the shoulder past baltimore national pike, we are looking at speeds of around 12 miles per hour. if you want to hand out in 40 at winters lane, another accident coming in. slow spots on the north side. not as bad as we normally see. 32 miles per hour on the outer loop. one more accident of know at

10th street and woodlawn ave. accident scene, baltimore national pike, all of to the shoulder. 95 south of the beltway northeast, easing up just a bit. looking better than last check. john collins joins us with a look at the forecast. >> cooler temperatures are climbing into the 60s. there might be in little miss around baltimore, but the rich or activity -- our chances for brain will be increasing during the day. -- our chances for rain will be increasing during the day. overcast skies. humidity is up, barometer up for the time being. east winds will hold temperatures down today. 67 to 72 for the temperature range. in and out of the class, with the clouds of being a dominant feature, and maybe a shower or thunderstorm later this afternoon or evening.

not terribly warm. coolest readings will be sunday and monday. >> we will have another update at 8:55.

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8:30 now on a friday morning. 16th day of march 2012. we're going to say cloudy, but it's worse than that. it's misty, rainy, dreary and chilly. after the weather we have been having, we have absolutely no complaints as we come out to the plaza and join a huge crowd. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie, here while ann is taking a couple days off. mr. roker is here and we are

joined by tamron hall. a lot of people in town for the parade tomorrow. if you want to help celebrate st. patrick's day, we have cooking to do in this half hour. we'll make a great st. patrick's day meal including that right there, a marinated filet mignon. >> the three of us have some green on. where's yours? >> there. >> just checking. >> oh, ye of little faith. >> we all know college tuition goes up every year. what if you want to cut costs in these tight times? we have five ways to cut costs coming up. >> and it's spritzing so why not get to spring break? >> we are going face to face with some north american gray wolves. wow. >> amazing. >> they are beautiful animals. kind of scary.

>> he's looking at us now. >> before that, i want to bring in an oscar winner. great actor. adrien brody is here. nice to see you. [ cheers and applause ] >> another wolf. >> exactly. a wolf in nice clothing. you play a substitute teacher sent into a school that's a d p dumping ground for the worst of the worst kids. is this pure entertainment or social commentary as well? >> i don't want you to see anything i do as pure entertainment. i try to find things with social relevance and impact on me and that hopefully i can share with the audience. that's a beautiful relationship with making movies. really, it's about how isolated so many people feel and young people and how important it is that we provide guidance for them. as parents, friends and mentors and obviously as educators.

>> when you read the script your dad gave you the stamp of approval. you knew it was worthwhile. >> my father was a public school teacher in new york. i went to public school here my whole life. you know, it's a very generous, under appreciated profession. it takes a huge amount of patience and kindness. >> you have a great relationship in this film with a young actress sami gail. it's a father-daughter relationship that develops. >> a father-daughter relationship for a girl who doesn't have a father and a guy who was raised without a father. they find similar sadness that they bond with. he kind of overcomes his own sense of isolation by helping her and, you know, she has a very troubled life. she's an amazing young actress.

>> we love you for your art and your mind. i have to ask about your style. i'm superficial here. >> okay. >> this jacket you have on now, do you style yourself? look at you there. >> i style myself. i showed up with that mustache and they liked it. >> they didn't cut it? >> no. i had a beard and i trimmed it down. that was new for me. they nicknamed it the anchor. >> now people know you for the gillette commercial more than the oscar performance? >> no, no, no. >> back off, sister. >> i just thought it was an academy award winning performance. >> it's a hot ad but not that hot. >> i was in a pizzeria and a guy said, i loved you in this commercial. >> good to see you. >> thanks. >> mr. roker? >> all right. we'll show you the weekend ahead starting with today. wet weather in the northeast.

heavy rain in the pacific northwest. record highs in the plains. for tomorrow, st. patrick's day, we have shamrocks coming out of the southeast. wet weather making it up and down the west coast, including the l.a. marathon tomorrow. record highs across the plains continuing sunday with a risk of strong storms from texas up into the dakotas. wet weather and snow in the rockies. sunshine in the northeast. showers along the southeast and atlantic states. beautiful weather on sunday for the new york city half marathon. >> good morning. the temperatures will be above average said. a little cooler the the last couple of days. a chance for it thunderstorm into the afternoon.

that's your latest weather. >> mr. roker, thank you very much. patrick kennedy's nonprofit organization one mind for research is dedicated to finding cures for diseases and disorders of the brain. he's with us this morning along with the group's new ceo, peter carelli. good morning to you both. >> good morning. >> what was it about this area of scientific research, the medical disorders of the brain, mental and neurological disorders you decided needed your attention? >> well, there is everything from autism speaks to alzheimer's foundation from parkinson's and michael j. fox to addiction and depression. but we are all focused on the same organ of the body. we have more in common than divides us. the idea is why not work together to share each other's research along diseases because all the diseases affect the same organ. if we understand the organ together we'll all advance our

collective and individual interests in the brain. >> i know you were a tireless advocate for service members with traumatic brain injuries, ptsd returning from war. do you think the military has done better in terms of handling illnesses without the stigma associated? >> stigma is still with us. we are doing what we can to eliminate stigma, but it remains. we like diagnostic tools that allow us when we screen soldiers to ensure we know whether or not they have post traumatic stress or traumatic brain injury. we just don't have reliable diagnostic tools today. >> given the news we have been seeing this week, this becomes even more important, did you want it? >> it does. we really need to advance the science. not for science's sake, but in order to find cures and help us diagnose folks when they have post traumatic stress and brain injury. >> congratulations inned a vance. >> thank you. >> you have a baby on the way in

a couple of days. >> yes. my wife is watching with her class now. >> congratulations. >> nice to meet you. congressman, nice to see you. >> thanks, matt. >> much more of "today" on a friday morning. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:40. this morning on today's money, paying for your kid's college education. the average cost of a public college is now $22,000 a year and $43,000 at a private institution. many parents wonder how to pay for it all. we have secrets to paying for college. good morning. we have need secrets. it turns out sometimes you get the tuition bill and there are additional hidden costs. >> there are so many things parents don't know about. people are ready for sticker shock. there are so many things hidden

in the fine print. but there is a lot you can do if you know what's there. >> for example, if you take a harder class you can be charged an extra fee? >> right. it pays to be a slacker. >> i'm glad i took basket weaving in college. the first thing you say, tame the tuition. a couple of things to point out. tuition costs are rising annually and students often don't finish in the four-year allotted time. >> two-thirds of freshmen do not finish in four years. not everybody knows what they want to do when they are first in college. sit down with your adviser and plan out what your requirements are for each semester. if you are unsure take classes that could support several majors. there are a number of programs that offer three-year graduate degrees, so if you have a really disciplined student, disciplined mindset, take extra classes and in the summer you can graduate in three years.

>> there are payment plans to pay at today's prices? >> you have to have a lot of money up front but if you pay all four years up front you save a lot. tuition prices are going up quite a bit. >> there are tax breaks with college but it gets complicated. >> most people saved money for college in the 529 plan. you want to use it but first pay money out of your own pocket. if you pay the first $4,000 out of tuition out of savings, you can qualify for the american opportunity tax credit which will give you $2500 off your 2012 taxes. >> a credit not a deduction, so a good one. housing can get expensive. how do you suggest cutting costs? >> college defaults you to the best dorms available which is nice, but you can save money. instead of having a dorm in the center of campus if you live further away you pay less. instead of a double room with a private bathroom, maybe a shared bathroom or you could get a room with a three or four roommates

and save a lot. >> the meal plans add up, too. >> they are extremely costly. there is the co-op housing program that dozens of colleges offer. that allows you to work 15 to 20 hours maybe in the kitchen, maybe doing maintenance for the school and you get -- you pay maybe $5,000 versus $14,000 and the meal plan is paid for as well. >> next, finesse financial aid. if you're lucky enough to get a scholarship parents think that's the final offer and you can't negotiate. you say not always. >> you want to make sure you know you can negotiate with your financial aid package. not everybody knows what makes up the financial aid package. it's not the end all and be all. if you had a change in financial circumstances. if you lost your job, had a big medical bill, you can appeal and save money. >> if you're going to brave borrowing, are there particular loans that are better than others? >> yes. go with the federal student loans.

those are subsidized by the government. they have much more flexible options for repayment. anybody can get them. no matter how much income you make. >> we have a few quick lightning round tips to save here and there. using used textbooks is one way to save. >> there are so many hidden costs to paying for college. because there are so many we launched a site called the college center which helps you figure out the true cost to pay for college. one of the biggest hidden costs is health insurance. most schools default you to the school health insurance. that can cost thousands. if you have health insurance, keep your child on and save a lot. >> all right. lots to study for parents and students. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> find more tips in the april issue of "money" on news stands friday. coming up, a taste of ireland. we are cooking up a st. patrick's day feast. first, this is "today" on nbc. h.

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we are back at 8:46. this morning on today's kitchen, a feast for st. patrick's day. millions of spectators will line the streets of new york city tomorrow for the nation's largest parade. but you don't have to be here to enjoy a taste of ireland. irish chef catherine folio has nice ideas. welcome back. >> nice to see you again. >> happy st. patrick's day. >> many happy returns. >> if you were home tomorrow for st. patrick's day how would you celebrate? >> it's a national holiday. everything closes. shops, schools, banks, everything and all the villages will have a parade. >> nice. we'll make a great dish for st. patrick's day. this is marinated filet mignon with a whiskey glaze. some of the guys want to know if you can make it without the filet mignon. is that possible? >> oh, yeah. everything's possible.

>> you rubbed garlic on the meat. >> a little bit of salt and pepper. that goes straight into the pan. >> do you have olive oil in there? >> in ireland we use rapeseed oil which is your canola oil. >> hot iron skill let. >> all the ingredients are very irish. white house can i, cream, filet. very irish. >> you will cook a few minutes on each side, flip them over. >> these have been cooked off. lovely color on those. we leave them to rest. >> this is so simple. a few ingeed yents and you you use the same pan for the glaze. >> put a little bit of garlic in there. >> perfect. >> that's going to give a little flavor to the oil. we'll pick up all the juices from cooking the beef. next is the whiskey. >> what kind? >> irish whiskey. >> any particular brand you

like? >> jamesons. this is just a little bit of chicken stock. and we have cream. normally you let the whiskey cook longer. we leave that to reduce. >> all right. >> back here. >> we're going to make risotto but instead of rice you're using steel cut oats. >> i use it a lot in my cooking school at home. it's gorgeous and gives a lovely bite to the risotto. >> same taste when you're done? >> more bite. more texture. it's nicer. we'll is see in a minute. i put in carrot. i don't know if you can see where i'm going. the irish flag. >> great colors. >> we have zest in there for a sweet flavor which works well with the filet and i have stock os as well. then we put in desmond cheese back home. >> i'm not familiar with it.

>> a lot of cheeses you can get in the united states. i particularly picked ingredients you can get here. if not, discover ireland. >> talk to me about the presentation. >> next thing is here is a little bit of a spinach puree. i cooked it with garlic, salt and pepper. i'm doing a shamrock here. >> you dit's a shaky shamrock be you have been dipping into the whiskey glaze. >> put this on the plate. >> do you mind if i taste that risotto? >> taste away. >> that's really good. >> isn't it nice? >> a little bit of a stronger flavor, you're right. >> it's very different. now just lay this out here. excuse me my hands. like that, you see. i will give my hands a little

wipe here. we have the salt. my whiskey glaze and a little bit of parsley for a little bit of irish color. there you have all of ireland on a plate, matt. >> that's really pretty. good and tastes great. happy st. patrick's day. >> many happy returns. >> we're going to come back and go wild with the wolves. first, this is "today" on nbc.

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this morning on today's call of the wild, who's afraid of the big bad wolf? all of us right here actually. here to clear up misconceptions about north american gray wolves and tell us why so many are working to protect them is david from the wildlife federation. to be honest, we're scared. >> you don't need to be. they are gray wolves, important predators in north america. but wolves don't attack people. there is a myth of the big bad wolf. they are critically important predators. they keep prey populations under control. they control smaller predators and balance the eco-system. >> that liam neeson movie? >> a thumbs down. >> little red riding hood? >> she lies. >> not like we should pet them. you have to show respect. >> exactly. these guys --

>> we respect you. >> they are from howling woods farm in jackson, new jersey. they are rescue animals. people tried to make them pets. you should not have a wolf as a pet. >> these were one of the most widespread species in the world. yet the habitat has been shrinking. >> human beings have a mythology about wolves and we pretty much wiped them out. they were found across the northern hemisphere. in the u.s. now they are found only at a couple of spots in the great lakes area, the northern rockies. we have wiped them out of most of the lower 48. in canada one reason i brought them here is the national wildlife federation is trying to raise awareness about a poisoning and shooting campaign the government of canada is doing to protect caribou. it's because of tar sands development. there is political pressure on the u.s. and i want people to know these beautiful animals, their wild kin will be poisoned, shot out of helicopters to feed our addiction to dirty oil. >> they are carnivores, but you

would point out they keep the environment in balance. >> absolutely. if you don't have predators in an eco-system, the prey species overpop lates. they eat the plants, destroy habitats for smaller animals. the national wildlife federation got wolves back in yellow stone in 1995. they had eaten the plants. smaller animals went away. wolves were put back in the top of the food chain, controlled the elk population, eliminate coyotes which were eating smaller animals. wolves and any large carnivore balances the eco-system. we need them and particularly in canada we need these animals. we should not poison them for energy purposes. >> is there a lone wolf? >> they live in packs but once in a while an individual animal breaks off to keep genetic diversity. they form a new pack. >> what's she giving them snm they are snacking on cheese.

they love cheese. >> we have pot roast upstairs. >> if folks want to save the wolves go to the today.com or national wildlife federation. >> thank you so much. coming up, great spring deals on beach getaways for the family. that sounds good. >> yeah. first, your local news. >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am mindy basara. fire crews are trying to determine because of a house fire in a harford county. this is a picture of the home. the flames broke out around 9:15 thursday night. it took about 40 firefighters 20

minutes to get the fire under control. we are

>> we are stuck with the two weather systems, one at trying to move out, another trying to come in. temperatures rather cool. east and northeast, readings have a tough time getting out of the 60's. the 60's.